The widow of a man fatally stabbed in Forest Park and who was found unconscious in nearby Maywood said she wants justice for her late husband.
“He was just a fun person to be with all the time,” said Delia Aragon, the 29-year-old widow of Pedro Aragon-Hernandez, the 36-year-old man who was fatally stabbed on May 21 near 8401 Roosevelt Road in Forest Park while commuting home from work.
Police believe the stabbing happened at around 6 p.m. Aragon-Hernandez was found unconscious near the intersection of 2nd and Harvard before being transported to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 3:13 a.m. on May 22.
Aragon, who lives in Bellwood, said her husband “was just a fun person to be with all of the time, who loved to dance and have fun.” The couple had four children: Pedro, 11, Manual, 10, Federico, 7, and Leilani, 6 months.
Aragon said her shock at her husband’s tragic death was compounded because of the way she feels she’s been treated by authorities.
“That night, I called him at 5:20 p.m. and he said if I was mad,” Aragon recalled. “I told him, ‘No, just tired.’ He said, ‘Go to sleep and take a nap. I’ll be there shortly.’ And he never showed up.”
When Aragon called Loyola at around 7 a.m. on May 22, the hospital initially told her that there was no one there by her husband’s name. And since the fatal stabbing, she said she’s fallen out of communication with Forest Park Police.
She said police have told her that they have a suspect in custody, but has not been charged with homicide yet. So far, she said, police told her that they have the suspect detained because of a parole violation. She’s afraid that the person will be able to bond out.
“Pedro had his money stolen, as well,” she said. “He had more than $400, plus his check was cashed even when there was a stop on it. No one gave me information on that. The police also initially tried telling me the stabbing was gang-related and he wasn’t in a gang.”
In a statement released in May, the department said its Criminal Investigation Division had taken over the investigation and will work with the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.
When reached on June 14, Forest Park Police said that the suspect was arrested and charged with possessing a small amount of PCP and resisting arrest, but that he has since been released from custody either on an I-bond or via electronic monitoring. He has not been charged, pending DNA evidence, the police said.
“At this time, investigators are unsure of the motive for the stabbing,” the police said, before urging anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (708) 366-2425 or email detectives@forestpark.net.
In the meantime, Aragon said she’s been trying to be strong for her four children. She’s since returned to work, but not before tapping into her savings to bury her husband last month. The family has since started a GoFundMe account for Aragon and her four children.
You can access the GoFundMe here. As of June 11, the GoFundMe had raised roughly $2,100 of its $10,000 goal.
“We just want justice for Pedro,” Aragon said, adding that she and her family are so scared for their safety that they’re planning to move out of the area.
“We are trying to look for homes to move out already,” she said.
CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
